The present invention relates to paint ball guns and, more particularly, to paint ball feed mechanisms that automatically feed paint balls or markers into the firing chamber of a paint ball or marking gun.
Ammunition power feed mechanisms supply projectiles, in this case paint balls or markers, into the chamber or firing mechanism of a paint ball or marking gun for firing. Specifically, such ammunition power feed mechanisms positively feed or deposit a projectile into the chamber without the need for manual intervention. Semi-automatic and fully-automatic paint ball guns are the type that use such feed mechanisms. It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a paint ball or marking gun with an automatic feed mechanism that deposits a paint ball or marker into the firing chamber.
Additionally, malfunctions of these feed mechanisms, however, can significantly reduce the firing rate, effectiveness, and reliability of the paint ball gun. In particular, misfeeds, such as a projectile only partially loading into the gun chamber, may cause the gun to xe2x80x9cjamxe2x80x9d and require the chamber to be manually cleared before reuse. This, of course, is a time consuming process. Furthermore, such misfeeds may cause damage to the gun. Ammunition power feed mechanisms, therefore, should be reliable and convenient to use.
Accordingly, an illustrative embodiment disclosed herein provides a paint ball gun. The paint ball gun comprises an actuator, a paint ball advance assembly, a bias member, and a paint ball feed assembly. The actuator is coupled to the paint ball gun and is configured to advance in coordination with the paint ball gun being fired. The paint ball advance assembly is coupled to the actuator and moves in response to movement of the actuator. The bias member is engageable with the actuator to create a return force on the actuator. The return force moves the actuator opposite the direction of the advance. The paint ball feed assembly is in operable communication with the paint ball advance assembly which engages the paint ball to feed the paint ball into the paint ball gun. This occurs when the bias member moves the advance opposite the advance to move the paint ball advance assembly.
Other illustrative embodiments may include the engaging member extending from the paint ball gun which is caused to move by firing the paint ball gun. The engaging member may also be engageable with the actuator to advance same as the engaging member moves. The paint ball feed assembly may comprise a priming member that is attached to the paint ball advance assembly. The paint ball feed assembly may also comprise a load member assembly which may be attached to the paint ball advance assembly such that the load member assembly loads a paint ball into the paint ball gun. The load member assembly may comprise a plurality of spaced-apart, coaxially-aligned extending members. The paint ball advance assembly may be a ratchet assembly. The ratchet assembly may comprise a wheel in communication with the paint ball feed assembly, a first pawl to communicate motion from the actuator to the wheel, and a second pawl to selectively prevent motion of the wheel.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun disclosed herein provides a chamber, a piston, a spring member, a fluid source, a reciprocating lever, a wheel, a spring pawl, and a paint ball guide member. The chamber is attached to the paint ball gun. The piston is disposed in the chamber. The spring member is in communication with the piston to bias the piston in a first direction. The fluid source provides a force against the piston in a second direction that opposes the first direction. The reciprocating lever is coupled to the piston, and comprises a pawl. The wheel has a plurality of teeth disposed thereon configured to receive the pawl of the reciprocating lever such that as the piston moves in the second direction the pawl engages one of the plurality of teeth to cause the wheel to rotate in a first rotational direction. The spring pawl engages another of the plurality of teeth to prevent rotation of the wheel in a second rotational direction, which is opposite the first rotational direction, when the piston is moving in the second direction. The paint ball guide is configured to feed a paint ball into the paint ball gun. The fluid from the fluid source enters the chamber, moving the piston in the second direction, causing the pawl of the reciprocating lever to engage one of the plurality of teeth of the wheel. The bias of the spring member moves the piston in the first direction such that the engagement between the pawl and one of the plurality of teeth moves the wheel in the first rotational direction to cause the guide member to move to feed the paint ball into the paint ball gun.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun comprises a chamber, a piston, a ratchet mechanism, a coupling member, and a paint ball guide member. The chamber is attached to the paint ball gun. The piston is disposed in the chamber and is movable within the chamber in first and second directions, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction. The ratchet mechanism is in communication with the piston. The coupling member extends from and is coupled to the ratchet mechanism. The paint ball guide member is coupled to the coupling member, wherein the paint ball guide is configured to feed a paint ball into the paint ball gun. A force acts on the piston to move same in the second direction to engage the ratchet mechanism. After depletion of the force, the piston moves in the first direction to cause the paint ball guide member to move and feed the paint ball into the paint ball gun.
Other illustrative embodiments may include the paint ball guide member comprising a priming member coupled to the coupling member. The paint ball guide member may also comprise a load member assembly. The load member assembly may comprise a plurality of spaced-apart paddles. The ratchet mechanism may comprise a wheel in communication with a paint ball feed assembly, a first pawl to communicate motion from the piston to the wheel, and a second pawl to selectively prevent motion of the wheel.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun disclosed herein comprises a magazine and a ball guide member. The magazine is attached to the paint ball gun and is configured to contain at least one paint ball. The magazine is also in operable communication with a firing mechanism portion of the paint ball gun by an opening adjacent both the magazine and the firing mechanism. The ball guide member is coupled to and extends from the gun. The ball guide member extends into the magazine to direct the paint ball into the firing mechanism through the opening.
Other illustrative embodiments may include the magazine comprising a plurality of paddle assemblies and the assemblies being coaxially aligned. The magazine may comprise a plane flooring at its lowermost extent. The plurality of paddles may have a space between at least a pair of the plurality of paddles, wherein the space is configured to receive the ball guide member.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun comprises an automatic paint ball feed mechanism comprising a magazine having a paddle wheel assembly configured to move at least one paint ball into the paint ball gun. The paddle wheel assembly comprises a plurality of coaxially-aligned paddle members such that each of the plurality of paddle members comprises at least two paddle blades. The paint ball gun also comprises a ball guide member that guides a paint ball moved by the paddle wheel assembly.
Other illustrative embodiments may include, the magazine comprising a plane flooring adjacent one of the plurality of paddle members. In addition, the plurality of paddle members may have a space between at least a pair of the plurality of paddle members such that the space is configured to receive the ball guide member.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun comprises a misfed paint ball clearing apparatus. The paint ball clearing apparatus operates to clear a misfed paint ball in the paint ball gun by allowing the misfed paint ball to be deposited in the firing chamber of the paint ball gun. The misfed paint ball clearing apparatus comprises an advance assembly, an actuator, and a feed assembly. The motion of the actuator drives the advance assembly which causes concurrent movement of the feed assembly. The concurrent movement of the feed assembly affects the misfed paint ball""s position with respect to the paint ball gun to cause the misfed paint ball to deposit in the firing chamber of the paint ball gun.
Other illustrative embodiments may include the actuator further comprising a piston arm; the advance assembly being a ratchet system; the ratchet system comprising a wheel having a plurality of notches disposed thereon, a pawl engageable with the wheel to rotate the wheel, and a stop selectively engageable with the wheel to prevent rotation of the wheel; the pawl further comprising a tooth that extends from the pawl; at least one of the plurality of notches having a detent disposed therein; the tooth selectively engaging the detent; the feed assembly further comprising at least one paddle which affects the misfed paint ball""s position with respect to the paint ball gun to cause the misfed paint ball to deposit in the firing chamber of the paint ball gun; a trigger mechanism that selectively engages the actuator to initiate motion of the actuator; motion of the actuator being in a first linear direction, and concurrent movement of the feed assembly being in a first rotational direction; concurrent movement of the feed assembly in the first rotational direction affecting the misfed paint ball""s position with respect to the paint ball gun; and a movement of the feed assembly being in a second rotational direction causing the misfed paint ball to deposit in the firing chamber of the paint ball gun.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun provides a misfed paint ball clearing apparatus comprising a container and an extending member. The container is positioned adjacent an opening disposed in the paint ball gun. The opening provides operable communication between the container and an interior portion of the paint ball gun. The extending member is positioned within the container. The extending member is also movable in a first direction to affect a paint ball""s position relative to the container, wherein the paint ball would otherwise be prevented from entering the opening disposed in the paint ball gun. The extending member is further movable in a second direction to deposit the paint ball into the opening disposed in the paint ball gun.
Other illustrative embodiments may include the first direction in which the extending member is movable being a first rotational direction; the second direction in which the extending member is movable being a second rotational direction; the first and second rotational directions being opposed directions; and the extending member engaging the paint ball which is misfed relative to the opening to move the paint ball to another position relative to the container, and re-engage the paint ball to deposit the paint ball into the opening.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun provides a method for clearing a misfed paint ball in a paint ball gun wherein the paint ball is misfed relative to a feed mechanism attached to the paint ball gun. The method for clearing the misfed paint ball comprises the steps of powering an actuator, engaging the advance assembly, driving the feed mechanism, and clearing the misfed paint ball. Engaging the advance assembly by the actuator causes the advance assembly to move. Driving the feed mechanism is accomplished by engagement with and movement of the advance assembly. Clearing the misfed paint ball is achieved by driving the feed mechanism which affects a positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball relative to the firing chamber to reposition the paint ball to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber.
Other illustrative embodiments may include the steps of activating a trigger mechanism to initiate powering of the actuator; moving the advance assembly in a first direction; moving the feed mechanism in the first direction concurrently with moving the advance assembly in the first direction; affecting the positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball by moving the feed mechanism in the first direction, wherein the misfed paint ball is repositioned to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber; moving the advance assembly in a second direction; moving the feed mechanism in the second direction concurrently with moving the advance assembly in the second direction; and moving the misfed paint ball that is able to enter the firing chamber by moving the feed assembly in the second direction, and depositing the misfed paint ball into the firing chamber.
Another illustrative embodiment of the paint ball gun also provides a method for clearing a misfed paint ball in a paint ball gun which comprises the steps of: activating a trigger mechanism; powering an actuator to cause linear movement of the same by activation of the trigger mechanism; engaging an advance assembly by the linear movement of the actuator; rotating a portion of the advance assembly by translating the linear movement of the actuator into rotational movement; and clearing the misfed paint ball by rotating the feed assembly concurrently with rotating the advance assembly which affects a positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball relative to the firing chamber to reposition the paint ball to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber.
Other illustrative embodiments may include the steps of rotating the wheel in a reverse direction by the tooth which engages the detent. Additionally, these other illustrative embodiments may include the advance assembly being a ratchet assembly; the ratchet assembly comprising a wheel having a plurality of notches disposed thereon, a pawl engageable with at least one of the notches disposed on the wheel to effect rotation of the wheel, and a stop selectively engageable with the wheel to selectively prevent rotation of the wheel; the pawl selectively engaging at least one of the plurality of notches to rotate the wheel in a forward direction; the pawl further comprising a tooth that extends from the pawl; at least one of the plurality of notches having a detent disposed therein; the tooth selectively engaging the detent; the reverse direction being opposite the forward direction; rotation of the wheel in the forward direction causing movement of the feed assembly in the forward direction which affects a positional adjustment of the misfed paint ball relative to the firing chamber to reposition the paint ball to a location that allows the misfed paint ball to be deposited into the firing chamber; and rotation of the wheel in the reverse direction causing movement of the feed assembly in the reverse direction to deposit the paint ball into the firing chamber.
Additional features and illustrative embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.